The National Youth Agency - Youth Opportunity Fund and the Youth Capital Fund

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Youth Opportunity Fund and the Youth Capital Fund

The government set up these funds to give young people the opportunity to become actively involved in funding decisions for activities and facilities in their neighbourhood.

The DCSF have published a YOF/YCF Good Practice Guide written by YouthBank UK in July 2008. It complements the Outcomes Reseach commissioned by the DCSF. The Guide identifies overarching Key Success Factors and then provides further detail on six aspects of YOF/YCF with key recommendations in each. The case examples illuminate varied successful practices. The final section gives examples of impact of the funds and looks at ‘what next’. The structures developed and the learning gained through the first two years of YOF and YCF will be built on as local authorities get to grips with young people actively shaping budgets. There are encouraging examples of involvement of young people in allocating other funding streams and in planning, commissioning and evaluating activities in the local offer.

Good Practice Guide

The DSCF published the Research Report by the NFER on the Outcomes of the Youth Opportunity Fund / Youth Capital Fund on 21 August 2008.

Outcomes of the Youth Opportunity Fund and Youth Capital Fund - NFER - August 2008

The evaluation aims to explore the impact of the YOF/YCF on young people and to examine the following hypotheses :

That giving young people control and decision making power about resources in their area will increase levels of participation in positive activities
That giving young people a voice (through funding/consultation) will lead to an increase in the provision of quality positive activities.

The research covered the first two years of the funds – 2006 – 2008. It provides essential reading of evidence based findings for all who are concerned with the empowerment of young people and the Aiming High for Young People policy commitments as well as those tasked with promoting and delivering positive activities for young people, particularly those who are hardest to reach.

Details at DirectGov

Young people can find out more about the Youth Opportunity Fund by contacting their local youth workers or local council, or by visiting Direct.gov.uk/YouthFunds.

During the summer of 2007 The National Youth Agency worked with Headliner's to produce this video as part of the Actions Speak Louder competition celebrating the projects young people have run in the first year of the Youth Opportunity Fund.

The National Youth Agency recently worked with Headliner's to produce this video as part of the Actions Speak Louder competition celebrating the projects young people have run in the first year of the Youth Opportunity Fund.

Find out more about Hear By Right and What's Changed